{"id":825139,"date":"2013-01-28T05:00:56","date_gmt":"2013-01-28T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cowbellkingdom.com\/?p=18817"},"modified":"2013-01-28T05:00:56","modified_gmt":"2013-01-28T13:00:56","slug":"perseverance-tested-in-demarcus-cousins-and-john-walls-third-nba-seasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/perseverance-tested-in-demarcus-cousins-and-john-walls-third-nba-seasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Perseverance tested in DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall’s third NBA seasons"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>This probably wasn\u2019t what DeMarcus Cousins<\/a><\/strong> and John Wall<\/a><\/strong> envisioned when they jumped into the NBA Draft in 2010. \u00a0In their third pro seasons, the former Kentucky Wildcat teammates have faced perhaps the most daunting tests of their young careers.<\/p>\n This year has been a challenge, to say the least, for two of the league\u2019s most talented up-and-comers. \u00a0In season three of their NBA journeys, their enormous potentials remain largely untapped.<\/p>\n Since his first overall selection in the 2010 draft, Wall’s career numbers stand at 16.2 points, 8.1 assists and 3.8 turnovers over 144 games. \u00a0Cousins, meanwhile, has averaged 16.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.9 fouls over 185 games. \u00a0They’ve tantalized and shown flashes of talent, but they haven’t been able to sustain the consistency needed to take their games to the next level.<\/p>\n Part of the reason has been due to their troubles getting on the court this season. \u00a0Cousins and Wall have both missed time this year, but for two very different reasons. \u00a0The Kings starting center once again let emotions stunt his progress as an NBA player and sat out five contests due to discplinary action in November and December. \u00a0For Wall, a stress injury to his left knee cap sidelined the Wizards guard for the first 33 games of the 2012-13 season.<\/p>\n Their paths will cross again tonight as the Kings make their annual visit to the nation’s capital to play the Wizards. \u00a0But their teams’ fortunes have gone in opposite directions since their last meeting. \u00a0Wall and the Wizards have posted a 4-2 record, while Cousins and the Kings have gone 2-5.<\/p>\n However through their highs and lows, they’ve been able to maintain the close friendship they forged during their one-year stint in Lexington.<\/p>\n When Wall was fighting to come back from injury, Cousins said he reached out to his former teammate. He maintains that he didn’t force the issue, knowing that Wall had the wherewithal to weather the storm on his own.<\/p>\n